Book escapement mechanism

ABSTRACT

A book separating and feeding device for feeding books in a vertically disposed spine-up condition wherein the spines of each book have recently been coated with adhesive tending to adhere to adjacent books. The device features a supply conveyor and a downstream escapement conveyor which is power-operated to effect continuous book feeding from the supply conveyor to a pair of accelerating rollers adjacent a book casing-in machine, the escapement conveyor being tiltable downwardly periodically into an angle relative to said supply conveyor in timed relation to the book feeding, the resulting angular difference between the planes of support provided the books by the supply conveyor and the escapement conveyor serving to create a gap between adjacent books having adhering spines coated with adhesive, whereby the books are separated and may be fed individually by the escapement conveyor between the accelerating rollers for entry into the book casing-in machine.

United States Patent [191 [451 Aug. 20, 1974 Desantis BOOK ESCAPEMENT MECHANISM [75] lnventor: Francis .1. Desantis, Waterbury,

Conn.

[73] Assignee: The Smyth Manufacturing Company, Bloomfield, Conn.

[22] Filed: Mar. 2, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 337,525

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data May 26, 1972 Germany 2226458 [52] U.S. Cl 198/34, 11/3, 198/25, 198/167 [51] Int. Cl. 865g 47/32 [58] Field of Search 198/34, 167; 271/51; 11/3, 11/4 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,576,891 ll/l95l Reynolds 198/34 2,638,203 5/1953 Mayer 198/34 2,714,440 8/1955 Fonty et a1 198/34 2,805,754 9/1957 Geertsen 198/34 3,155,220 ll/l964 Thorp 198/34 3,339,706 9/1967 Arvidson 198/34 3,556,283 1/1971 Brundage et al 198/34 Primary Examiner-Richard A. Schacher Assistant Examiner-Richard K. Thomson Attorney, Agent, or FirmPrutzman, Hayes, Kalb & Chilton [5 7] ABSTRACT A book separating and feeding device for feeding books in a vertically disposed spine-up condition wherein the spines of each book have recently been coated with adhesive tending to adhere to adjacent books. The device features a supply conveyor and a downstream escapement conveyor which is poweroperated to effect continuous book feeding from the supply conveyor to a pair of accelerating rollers adjacent a book casing-in machine, the escapement conveyor being tiltable downwardly periodically into an angle relative to said supply conveyor in timed relation to the book feeding, the resulting angular difference between the planes of support provided the books by the supply conveyor and the escapement conveyor serving to create a gap between adjacent books having adhering spines coated with adhesive, whereby the books are separated and may be fed individually by the escapement conveyor between the accelerating rollers for entry into the book casing-in machine.

46151155, spraying Figures BOOKS n E f2 CONTROL CIRCUIT 1 BOOK ESCAPEMENT MECHANISM The invention relates to a device for the feeding of books to a book casing-in machine comprising a conveyor feeding the stitched books.

Known devices of this type supply the stitched books in a continuous row to the casing-in machine without leaving spaces between the individual books. For the The task underlies the invention to provide a device for the feeding of books to a book casing-in machine which is capable to effect with simple constructional means on the one part the automatic creation of a gap between each pair of successive books and on the other part simultaneously automatically the separation of books eventually adhering to each other without causing damage.

According to the invention this task is solved by a second conveyor following said conveyor and being tiltable downwardly periodically into an angle relative to same, by support guides disposed opposing each other above said second conveyor extending in the direction of said second conveyor being adjustable to each other transversely to said second conveyor and being provided at their inlet side with an external deflection facilitating the book entrance between them, by a pair of accelerating rollers being disposed behind said book guides on both sides of the book travel opposing each other rotatable about vertical axes with a speed of their periphery surmounting at least at that point of same engaging said books the speed of said conveyors and being under spring action engageable with both sides of the book accelerating same in its travel direction, also by a fixed support plate disposed horizontally behind the tiltable end of said second conveyor with its surface on the level of the active surface of said first conveyor.

In this manner it is possible to break up and to eliminate by the lowering of said second conveyor simultaneously the adherence eventually existing between successive books in a manner taking care of the books and by the cooperation of the edge adjacent the end of that second conveyor of said support plate acting as stop for the lowered book with the subsequently becoming effective accelerating rolls to produce the gap required before the entrance of the books into the book casingin machine between successive books.

In detail a preferred embodiment of the invention is provided in that the tilting motion of said second conveyor is effected by a servo cylinder the actuation whereof is controlled by means of a magnetic valve through a switch the switching motion whereof is derived from a rotating cam coupled with the book casing-in machine drive.

A particularly simple performance of the accelerating process required for the gap formation between the supplied books is attainable thereby that said accelerating rolls are provided at their periphery at locations symmetrical to each other with a projection extending parallel to their axes.

In the following an embodiment example of the invention is described with reference to the drawings. Therein show:

FIG. 1 a diagrammatically simplified top view of the rearward portion of the device;

FIG. 2 a diagrammatically simplified side elevation of the forward portion of the device; and

FIG. 3 a diagrammatically simplified side elevation of the rearward portion of the device.

The stitched books are fed to the book casing-in machine by the second conveyor 4 following to the conveyor 8 carrying the stitched, immediately bearing on each other books, said second conveyor 4 being periodically downwardly tiltable and the books are supported and carried by book guides 5 disposed laterally on both sides of the second conveyor 4 over same adjustable in a direction transversely to the travel direction of the books. The book guides are in a direction transversely to the conveyor 4 adjustable towards each other and from each other in order to be adaptable concerning their distance from each other to the thickness of the books.

If the conveyor 4 is in the lowered position (FIG. 1), the books are stopped by the front edge of the fixed support plate 7 the active surface whereof is disposed on the level of the active surface of the conveyor 8 resp. of the tiltable conveyor 4 in its upper position, said active surface serving for the reception of the books subsequently to be handled by the casing-in machine.

In a suitable moment of the device cycle switch 1 is closed by the rotating cam actuating it and driven by the main control shaft of the casing-in machine and thereby a four-way magnetic valve 2 is closed reversing the fluid (compressed air) admittance to the servo cylinder 3 so that conveyor 4 is tilted upwardly whereby the book located thereon is raised to the level of the support plate 7. The book can now be displaced by the conveyor 4 onto the support plate 7 and between the accelerating rolls 6 resiliently urged onto each other which are driven at least at their periphery point engaging the book with a peripheral speed which is greater than the travelling speed of the conveyors 4 and 8.

The accelerating rolls 6 move on account of their greater peripheral speed the book between them with a speed which is greater than the travelling speed of the subsequent books which are still moved by the conveyor 8 so that a gap is created between the foremost book and the following books.

Switch 1 is now opened so that four-way magnetic valve 2 is opened and servo cylinder 3 is reversed whereby the lowering of conveyor 4 and therewith the stopping of the next book at the front edge of the support plate 7 is caused.

As perceptible from FIG. 2, the books coming from the conveyor 8 are tilted downwardly at the location where the lowered tiltable conveyor 4 begins whereby a gap is created at the spines of the books and an adhesive bond eventually existing here is broken in a manner innocuous for the books and therewith separated.

I claim:

1. For use with a book casing-in machine, a device for separating and continuously feeding a succession of books wherein the spine of each book is coated with adhesive causing adjacent books to adhere together upstream of the book casing-in machine and comprising a first conveyor (8) feeding the books, a second conveyor (4) following said first conveyor (8), book support guides (5) disposed opposing each other above said second conveyor (4) and extending in the direction of said second conveyor (4) for receiving and maintaining said books in a vertically disposed spine-up position on said second conveyor (4), a pair of accelerating rollers (6) following said book support guides (5 said pair of accelerating rollers (6) being disposed opposing each other adjacent the book casing-in machine for engagement respectively with opposite sides of each book fed therebetween from the book support guides (5) by said second conveyor (4), the rollers being rotatable about vertical axes with a speed of their periphery greater, at least at their points of engagement with the books, than the speed of the first and second con- .veyors (8, 4), the second conveyor (4) being poweroperated to effect continuous book feeding and being tiltable downwardly periodically into an angle relative to said first conveyor (8) in timed relation to the book feeding to create a gap between adjacent book spines and to separate adjacent book spines adhered together by adhesive, whereby separated books on said second conveyor (4) may be fed individually by said second conveyor between the accelerating rollers (6) and into the book casing-in machine.

2. Device according to claim 1 further including a book casing-in machine drive, and wherein the tilting motion of said second conveyor (4) is effected by a servo cylinder (3) the actuation whereof is controlled by means of a magnetic valve through a switch l) the switching motion whereof is derived from a rotating cam coupled with the book casing-in machine drive.

3. Device according to claim 1 wherein said accelerating rolls (6) are located in symmetrical relation to each other and coincident with a projection extending parallel to their axes and perpendicular to the book feed path.

4. Device according to claim 1 wherein said support guides (5) are adjustable to each other transversely to said second conveyor (4) and being provided at their inlet side with an external deflection facilitating the book entrance between them, said accelerating rollers (6) being under spring action engageable with both sides of the book accelerating same in itstravel direction, and wherein a fixed support plate (7) is disposed horizontally adjacent the tiltable end of said second conveyor (4) with the surface of the plate (7 on the level of the active surface of said first conveyor (8). 

1. For use with a book casing-in machine, a device for separating and continuously feeding a succession of books wherein the spine of each book is coated with adhesive causing adjacent books to adhere together upstream of the book casing-in machine and comprising a first conveyor (8) feeding the books, a second conveyor (4) following said first conveyor (8), book support guides (5) disposed opposing each other above said second conveyor (4) and extending in the direction of said second conveyor (4) for receiving and maintaining said books in a vertically disposed spine-up position on said second conveyor (4), a pair of accelerating rollers (6) following said book support guides (5), said pair of accelerating rollers (6) being disposed opposing each other adjacent the book casing-in machine for engagement respectively with opposite sides of each book fed therebetween from the book support guides (5) by said second conveyor (4), the rollers being rotatable about vertical axes with a speed of their periphery greater, at least at their points of engagement with the books, than the speed of the first and second conveyors (8, 4), the second conveyor (4) being poweroperated to effect continuous book feeding and being tiltable downwardly periodically into an angle relative to said first conveyor (8) in timed relation to the book feeding to create a gap between adjacent book spines and to separate adjacent book spines adhered together by adhesive, whereby separated books on said second conveyor (4) may be fed individually by said second conveyor between the accelerating rollers (6) and into the book casing-in machine.
 2. Device according to claim 1 further including a book casing-in machine drive, and wherein the tilting motion of said second conveyor (4) is effected by a servo cylinder (3) the actuation whereof is controlled by means of a magnetic valve through a switch (1) the switching motion whereof is derived from a rotating cam coupled with the book casing-in machine drive.
 3. Device according to claim 1 wherein said accelerating rolls (6) are located in symmetrical relation to each other and coincident with a projection extending parallel to their axes and perpendicular to the book feed path.
 4. Device according to claim 1 wherein said support guides (5) are adjustable to each other transversely to said second conveyor (4) and being provided at their inlet side with an external deflection facilitating the book entrance between them, said accelerating rollers (6) being under spring action engageable with both sides of the book accelerating same in its travel direction, and wherein a fixed support plate (7) is disposed horizontally adjacent the tiltable end of said second conveyor (4) with the surface of the plate (7) on the level of the active surface of said first conveyor (8). 